Few can boast such a direct familial link to the man who ended the United States' occupation of Nicaragua in 1933 and whose name would become synonymous with another revolution in Nicaragua decades later.

Sandino's great-nephew is a quieter kind of rebel.

At the height of the violent anti-government protests which rocked Masaya last year, Fr Román sheltered dozens of demonstrators in his church as they were being fired upon by police and armed left-wing radicals.

He also turned the clergy house into a makeshift triage unit for the injured. "The doorbell rang and there was a group of kids with blood streaming from their heads. From 7pm until the following morning, with the support of a few local medical students, we attended to anyone who arrived at our door," he recalls.

Key dates:

1927-1933: Guerrillas led by Augusto César Sandino fight US military presence
1934: Sandino assassinated on the orders of Gen Anastasio Somoza
1937: Gen Somoza elected president, heralding the start of more than four decades of dictatorship by his family
1961: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) founded
1979: FSLN military offensive ends with the ousting of Gen Anastasio Somoza's son, also called Anastasio Somoza
2007: FSLN candidate Daniel Ortega returns to power as president after winning election
2011: Ortega re-elected to a second consecutive term after term limits are scrapped
2016: Ortega re-elected to a third consecutive term
2018: Anti-government protests rock the country

Such actions as well as his outspoken sermons, which have been openly sympathetic to the opposition cause, have brought him pressure from the governing Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).

On Friday, the governing party will be marking the 40th anniversary of the day when Sandinista rebels, who had named themselves after Fr Román's great-uncle, defeated the US-backed military ruler Anastasio Somoza.

But on the eve of the anniversary, Fr Román has little positive to say about the group carrying Sandino's name and their leader who is now Nicaragua's president, Daniel Ortega.

"The Sandinistas have achieved nothing. We're repeating a cycle of dictatorship. The guerrilla fighter who defeated Somoza has today become the dictator himself," he says of Mr Ortega.

Change for the better?
One of the turning points in the war against Somoza was an audacious and daring attack on the National Palace in 1978, a year before the rebels took power.

Twenty-five guerrillas, dressed as National Guard elite troops, stormed Congress while it was in full session and took the lawmakers hostage.

The man who led the near-suicidal operation, Edén Pastora, also known as Comandante Cero, does not share the priest's dismal assessment of the FSLN's legacy.

"When we won, we aimed to change the social, political and economic structure of the country, particularly for the rural, indigenous population through agrarian reform and a national literacy programme." he says. "To be a worker in the times of Somoza was to be considered practically a common criminal," he recalls.

He argues that it was the return of Daniel Ortega to power in 2007 – he had ruled the country for most of the 1980s – that made the biggest impact.

"We're the country with most growth in Latin America after Panama and the Dominican Republic," he insists before listing supposed improvements in energy, healthcare and infrastructure.

Critics of the government say many such claims by high-ranking Sandinistas are misleading. They argue that they are either based on a totalitarian control of the economy, which has only benefitted an inner circle, has weakened state institutions and bypassed the rule of law, or that they are simply untrue.

Memories of revolution
The walls of Edén Pastora's office are adorned with framed photographs of a revolutionary life: one alongside the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, another with his comrades in a clandestine hideout and, above his desk, a famous image of him after the National Palace assault, hoisting his rifle aloft.

Today, in his 80s, Comandante Cero has a slight tremble in his hands. Yet when it comes to Nicaragua's current conflict and the more than 300 people who died during last year's wave of anti-government protests, he remains as firm and unrepentant as ever, echoing the FSLN party line.

"There was real chaos on the streets and we had to defend ourselves. We were facing terrorists here. They killed our police officers, stabbed, shot, burned them, stoned them with rocks. You can see it in the videos," he says of the response to the anti-government protests by the security forces,

The international chain of convenience stores Circle K has offered a public apology in Mexico after it tweeted an offer which was widely decried as sexist on social media.

The ad urged shoppers to mark "Secretary Day" by buying a special "combo" consisting of a bottle of wine, a chocolate bar and a packet of condoms for their secretary.

It was quickly panned on Twitter for promoting stereotypes of women.

Circle K has withdrawn the ad.

Making a noise about machismo in Mexico
Mexican women march to highlight anti-female violence

Mexico honours different professions on days across the year. Celebrations normally do not go much beyond a card, a message sent on social media or a small gift, traditionally chocolate or flowers.

Local shops often have promotions to mark these days, which in the case of "Secretary Day", is celebrated on the third Wednesday in July.

But rather than honouring secretaries, many Mexicans felt that the offer advertised on Tuesday on Circle K convenience stores' official Twitter account did exactly the opposite.

The ad showed three offers, two of them were for a bottle of wine and a chocolate bar. But the third added a pack of condoms to the "combo" worth 199 Mexican pesos ($10; £8).

The text above it reads: "Happy day to all the secretaries. Celebrate with them the proper way with this executive combo."

The word used for secretary in the ad is "secretaria", which is female in Spanish and therefore would only be taken to apply to women. Further down, the word "executive combo" is followed by the suggestive phrase in English in brackets: "If you know what I mean".

Mexican Senator Patricia Mercado was one of those to flag up the ad on Twitter and its subsequent removal by Circle K.

Senator Mercado said that not only was the ad sexist for "reproducing gender stereotypes and misogyny by insinuating that the recognition secretaries deserve is of a sexual nature, but also because it promotes sexual harassment and bullying at work".

Peru's former President Alejandro Toledo has been arrested in the US, the Peruvian authorities say.

The chief prosecutor's office said his arrest was in connection with an extradition request issued in March last year.

Mr Toledo is accused of taking $20m in bribes from the Brazilian construction company, Odebrecht, during his time in office between 2001 and 2006.

He denies all the charges and says they are politically motivated.

Peru country profile

Mr Toledo has been working as a a visiting professor at Stanford University, near San Francisco.

Odebrecht scandal
Odebrecht is at the centre of a multi-national corruption scandal. The company admitted, as part of a plea deal with the US justice department, to paying nearly $800m (£640m) in bribes to governments across Latin America.

That time spans the presidencies of Mr Toledo and his two successors in office, Alan Garcia and Ollanta Humala. Both denied any wrongdoing following the revelations, but Mr Garcia subsequently committed suicide.

Peruvian media reported that Odebrecht's former executive director in Peru, Jorge Barata, had accused Mr Toledo of receiving $20m in bribes in exchange for gRead More – Source

A woman in El Salvador whose baby was found dead in the toilet where she gave birth is facing a retrial on charges of homicide.

Evelyn Beatríz Hernández Cruz, 21, was originally sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2017 but was released following an appeal.

She says she did not know she was pregnant and lost consciousness during the birth.

Initially accused of abortion, she was eventually found guilty of homicide.

Abortion is illegal in El Salvador and those found guilty face between two and eight years in jail.

The mothers being criminalised in El Salvador
Where women may be jailed for miscarrying

But in many cases, including the one against Ms Hernández, the charge is changed to one of aggravated homicide, which carries a minimum sentence of 30 years.

What happened?
Evelyn Hernández says she experienced severe stomach pains and bleeding while at her home in rural El Salvador on 6 April 2016.

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She went to the toilet, located in an outhouse, where she fainted. Her mother took her to a hospital, where doctors found she had given birth.

She was arrested after the body of her baby was found in the toilet's septic tank.

Ms Hernández, who was 18 at the time, says she had been raped by a gang member but that she had no idea that she was pregnant.

She said she had confused the symptoms of pregnancy with stomach ache because she had experienced intermittent bleeding, which she thought was her menstrual period.

"If I'd known I was pregnant I would have awaited [the birth] with pride and joy," she has said in the past.

She also said that while she had "felt something come loose" inside her, she did not hear a baby cry out and did not realise she was giving birth.

What were the charges?
Ms Hernández was charged with aggravated homicide in 2017.

Prosecutors said that she had hidden her pregnancy and not sought antenatal care and while they said they could not establish whether the baby was alive at birth, they argued that Ms Hernández had committed murder.

The judge ruled that Ms Hernández knew she was pregnant and found her guilty of aggravated homicide. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison in July 2017.

Why is there a retrial?
Ms Hernández lawyers appealed against the judge's decision.

The defence lawyers said that forensic test showed that the baby had died of meconium aspiration, inhaling his own early stool. This can happen while the baby is still in the uterus, during delivery or immediately after birth.

The lawyers said that the test proved that Ms Hernández had not tried to abort the baby but that it had died of natural causes. "There is no crime," defence lawyer Bertha María Deleón said.

However, her conviction was confirmed by another court in October 2017Read More – Source

The Trump administration is seeking to curb migration from Central America by introducing new rules over who can claim asylum in the US.

The measures, unveiled on Monday, say migrants who fail to apply for asylum in the first country they pass through en route to the US will be ineligible.

Migrants who have been trafficked will be exempt from the ban.

Mexico has rejected the measures and the American Civil Liberties Union has mounted a legal challenge.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was "deeply concerned" over the new rules.

Announcing the rule change, Attorney General William Barr said it would deter "economic migrants" from exploiting the US asylum system.

"The United States is a generous country but is being completely overwhelmed by the burdens associated with apprehending and processing hundreds of thousands of aliens along the southern border," Mr Barr said in a statement.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, however, said his country would not become a dumping ground for those rejected by the US and would not return refugees to danger zones.

"Mexico does not agree with measures that limit access to asylum and refuge," he told reporters.

In a statement, the UNHCR said the measures would "endanger vulnerable people in need of international protection from violence or persecution."

"This measure is severe and is not the best way forward," it added.

It is not clear what will now happen to asylum seekers rejected by the US at the border with Mexico.

The new regulations are the Trump administration's latest attempt to toughen the US asylum process as increasing numbers of Central American migrants arrive at the US-Mexico border.

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The US announcement comes after a court in Guatemala temporarily blocked a migration deal which could have seen the Central American nation defined as a "safe third country".

Migrants from other countries en route to the US would have had to apply for asylum in Guatemala under the agreement.

Why is Mr Trump changing the asylum rules?
He says "loopholes" in the asylum process are allowing migrants from Central America and elsewhere to live in the US illegally.

Currently, when migrants arrive at the US-Mexico border, they are allowed to request asylum regardless of which country they passed through to get there.

Only migrants who have travelled through countries deemed to be "safe" face restrictions on their asylum claims in the US.

Claimants are free to reside in the US until their case is dealt with – a process that often takes years.

What are the new US asylum rules?
The new measures limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum if they enter the US across its southern border, having come via another country and not sought its protection.

It means that migrants coming from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador cannot seek asylum if they didn't first do so in Mexico.

There are exemptions, including for migrants denied protection in a country and victims of human trafficking.

Six surprising statistics about immigrants in the US
What's the state of illegal immigration in US?

The asylum restrictions, due to come into effect on Tuesday, have been described as an "interim rule" by the Department of Justice and the Homeland Security.

It effectively circumvents Congress, paving the way for a showdown with Democrats and civil liberties groups who oppose Mr Trump's tough stance on asylum seekers.

"The Trump administration is trying to unilaterally reverse our country's legal and moral commitment to protect those fleeing danger. This new rule is patently unlawful and we will sue swiftly," said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer at American Civil Liberties Union.

Other attempts to deny asylum to migrants who enter the country illegally have been challenged in court.

Under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, there is no obligation oRead More – Source

What: Portada's 2019-2020 Panregional Marketing and Media Report explores the influence of certain territories over panregional marketing. These panregional marketing hubs influence the purchase of marketing services ranging from production, PR and creative to paid media.
Why it matters: Influence over Panregional Marketing Decision Making in Latin America exceeds US $2 billion. For information on all the issues regarding Panregional Marketing, refer to the complete report by Portada.

According to Portada's 2019-2020 Panregional Marketing and Media Report, influence over the purchase of panregional marketing services is a wide concept that covers the area of influence marketers have over purchasing decisions “in-country”. The panregional marketer can influence (e.g. veto) in-country marketing services purchases. However, she may not be able to buy those services from her location. Therefore, while the decision making is regional, the buying is local. The volume of influenced purchases will always be larger than the one of the actual purchases because the former includes the latter.

We believe that Miami and Mexico City have a larger degree of influence than the other locations. This is because both cities have a substantial amount of media agencies who buy panregionally, as well as a larger amount of panregional marketing headquarters on the brand marketer side.

“Influence” on Purchases by Different Panregional Marketing Hubs
To obtain the estimate of overall US $2,100 million of “influence” over decision-making related to panregional marketing purchases in 2016, Portada takes an overall market value for Marketing Services in Latin America of US $40 billion. (For more detailed methodology and assumptions, please buy the report). The below chart shows the dollar volume of marketing services purchases from top panregional marketing hubs, including Miami, Mexico City, New York and others.

This is one of the insights of the just-published 2019-2020 Panregional Marketing and Media Report, which provides Latin American Panregional Marketing Expenditures forecasts for the 2019-2024 period.

Portada's 2019-2020 Panregional Marketing and Media Media Report provides data, intelligence, insights, and forecasts about the Latin American Panregional Marketing Services sector from 2019 to 2024. A major tool for corporate expansion into Latin America and sales-planning/intelligence for marketing vendors offering services to major brands targeting the Latin American consumer. The 75-page report, which includes a market volume and growth forecast model based on a survey of more than 100 brand and media agency executives conducted by Portada, answers a myriad of questions including the 7 below:

1. What is the size of the panregional marketing sector?
The overall actual Latin American Panregional Marketing Services Sector, understood as decisions taken out of several marketing hubs (*see question 2) including Miami, Mexico City, New York, London and others, has a volume of approximately U.S $ 740 million a year (2019), according to the report. Measured in influence, although not necessarily in direct purchasing power, the brand and media agency executives located at those centers influence approximately US $2.26 billion a year (see chart below.)

Actual and "Influence" on Panregional Marketing Expenditures

2. How is panregional marketing defined? (*)
Panregional marketing is understood as marketing services purchases for two or more Latin American countries by clients (brands) or media agencies located outside of those countries.

3.Which city is currently the largest hub for panregional marketing?
Miami/South Florida is the largest hub followed by Mexico City, New York, London and Sao Paulo. The report provides overall market volumes for marketing decisions taken out of the above hubs from 2016 to 2024.

4.What media category is increasing its share of panregional media buys?
The structure of the panregional media buy out of Miami has changed substantially over the last decade with Pay TV- ten years ago the clear leader – only capturing 20% of the share in 2019 and digital media increasing its share to 60%. The 2019-2020 Panregional Market and Media Report includes expenditures and market share forecasts (2016 to 2024) for the below market services types (both overall as well as for Miami/South Florida):
Outsourced Content Marketing Services
Outsourced Social Media Related Services
Public Relations Services
Media Planning and Buying Services
Paid Media (Overall)
-Print
-Pay-TV (Cable and Satellite)
-Out of Home
-Radio
–Read More – Source